For over four decades, Australian artist Marion Borgelt has pursued a practice rooted in the elemental — light, cosmos, the patterns that pulse beneath the surface of the natural world.
Known for her extraordinary range of materials and a singular visual language that moves between painting, sculpture, and installation, Borgelt brings her work to New Zealand for the first time at Aotearoa Art Fair 2026 with Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert. Here, she speaks about the origins of her creative life, the dialogue between idea and material, and what it means to finally share a cross-section of her work with the audiences who have quietly collected it for years.
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What first drew you to art, and was there a moment you knew it was the path you’d commit to?
Art always felt like the right niche for me — it was less of a choice but more a natural way of thinking and being.
Growing up, I was constantly drawn to creative outlets—not sparked by any single moment, but by an underlying, persistent desire to make, imagine and express. Fashion, architecture, design and the visual arts interested me the most.
Your practice spans over 40 years. What has kept you returning to themes like cosmology and light?
From an early age, growing up on a farm, I observed the power of nature, the changing seasons, shifting light, and the vast open skies.
The natural world is endlessly revealing. Its infinite variety draws us out of the routine of daily life and invites us to notice what usually slips past: the layered complexity, the subtle patterns, the small, intricate moments that make up something much larger. The longer you look, the more it gives back. In that sense, observation becomes a kind of discovery. As for light and the cosmos, they say that a submariner, after being underwater for months at a time, longs to see sunlight and the sky. Looking towards the heavens is a natural human instinct.
Marion Borgelt
Chrysalis Moon: No. 2, 2026
electroplated aluminium gold leaf, ABS polymer, polyurethane, matt varnish (Auckland)
172 x 41 x 16 cm
Courtesy the artist and Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert, Sydney.
You work across such a wide range of materials, from beeswax to stainless steel. How do you choose which material is right for a particular idea?
The ideas themselves often suggest their own materials as if the concept possesses its own language for how it wants to be realised. Certain thoughts feel inseparable from a particular texture, weight, or process, guiding the choice almost intuitively. At the same time, this relationship isn’t always one-directional—materials have a voice of their own. Their qualities, limitations, and possibilities can reshape the original idea, taking it in unexpected directions.
More often than not, the two meet somewhere in the middle, where concept and material dovetail into a natural pairing. It’s less about imposing an idea onto a medium and more about allowing a dialogue to unfold, where both elements inform and refine each other.
Marion Borgelt
Liquid Light: Butterfly No. 27, 2026
acrylic, timber, Belgian linen, nails
Ø 55 x 4 cm
Courtesy the artist and Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert, Sydney.
This is your New Zealand debut. What does it mean to bring your work here for the first time, and what do you hope Auckland audiences take away from the experience?
New Zealanders have been collecting my work for more than twenty years. What makes this moment different is that, for the first time, a cross-section of my work will be shown together—offering audiences a clearer, more cohesive insight into the ideas and approach that have shaped it over time. I’m really excited to have this opportunity to develop and expand my relationship with New Zealand art lovers and collectors.
Learn more about the artist here.
gallerysallydancuthbert.com
@gallerysallydancuthbert
facebook.com/gallerysallydancuthbert
